Convertible baby-walker



(No Model.) Y 1 G. W.y WBILAND au M. THOMAS.

l CONVERTIBLE BABY WALKER. No. 559,424. Patented May 5, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

`GEORGE 7. VEILAND AND MILES THOMAS, OF PRICEURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONVERTIBLE BABY-WALKER SPECIFICATION forming par@ of Letters raf-.ent NG. 559,424, dated May 5, 189e. Application nea .lingua 27,1895'. saai No. 560,689. (N9 more.)

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE 4VNVEILAND and MILES THOMAS, citizens of the United States, residing at Priceburg, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented` a new and useful Combined Baby-Talker and RockingfChair, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in baby-walkers, and has for its object to provide a simple, light, and durable combination baby-walker and rocking-chair in which provision is made for affording a seat for the child which maybe folded out of the way when not used as a rocking-cl1air and in which the rockers are centrally jointed or hinged together and provided at their opposite extremities with swiveled casters, thus adapting the rockers to be used in their capacity as rockers or by breaking the joints therein to adapt said rockers to constitute temporary legs while the device is being used to instruct the child in the art of walking.

The invention further contemplates means for locking the rocker-sections upon their pi votal connections with the chair-legs and holding the same in their adj usted positions.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the subjoined description.

The invention consists in certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts whereby advantages in point of attractiveness and utility are obtained, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and iinally embodied in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the combined babywalker and rocker, the same being shown in the form of a rocking-chair and with the seat folded into operative position. Fig. 2 is a sectional View illustrating the manner in which the device is utilized as a baby-walker, the seat being folded out of the way. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the swinging and adjustable seat.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings:

This invention contemplates the use of a centrally-apertured top l and a series of four legs or standards for supporting the same at the desired elevation. The central aperture in the top board is made of a size which will readily permit the lowerpart of the body of the child to be introduced therein, while the cured to the lower extremities of the legs or standards 2 by means of screws or bolts or any preferred form of pivotal fastening, and each of said rockers is divided centrally in such manner as to form two equal and similar sections, the inner adjacent ends of which are pivotally connected, preferably by means of an ordinary strap-hinge secured to the lower corners of the rocker-sections and let into the lower edges thereof, so as to be liush therewith, as shown in Fig. 2. The extremity of each rocker-section is defiected or curved upwardly and extended longitudinally in substantially quadrantal form and is vertically perforated or socketed to receive the spindle of any ordinary or preferred forni of caster 5.

In order to prevent the rocker sections from vibrating unintentionally upon their pivotal connection with the legs or standards 2, the following means are employed: Arockshaft 6 is journaled in suitable screw eyes or bearings 7, attached to opposite legs or standards, and said rock-shaft is provided centrally with an operating-crank or lever-arm 8, and at its opposite ends with angular eX- tensions or cranks 9. Interposed between the free swinging ends of the cranks 9 .and two of the rocker-sections upon opposite sides of the chair are two connecting bars or links l0, which as the rock-shaft is vibrated serve to lift or depress the inner ends of the rockersectons to which they are pivotally connected, and thereby adjust said rocker-sections either into the position illustrated in Fig. l or that shown in Fig. 2. i

ll designates a folding seat which in operative position rests upon the side rounds of the chair beneath the central opening in the top l, and this seat is provided with a pair of rearwardly-extending arms or brackets 12,

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which are longitudinally slotted, as indicated at 13, adapting them to embrace and slide longitudinally upon atransverse round or brace 14, extending between the rear pair of legs or standards 2. This round or brace 14 is provided adjacent to each end with annular enlargements or shoulders 15, which abut against the inner adjacent faces of the arms or brackets 12 and preserve the proper relative position of the seat at all times. The longitudinal slots 13 at their rear extremities are formed with upward extensions or dropslots 16, and when the seat is drawn forward these drop-slots take over the round or brace 14 and serve to prevent the seat from slipping backward. WVhen it is desired to dispense with the seat, the rear ends of the arms or brackets y12 are lifted and the seat pushed rearwardly until the forward ends of the slots 13 reach the round 14, whereupon the seat is vibrated and the forward end thereof thrown upward until it engages behind a spring-catch 17, projecting` from the lower face of the top board 1, as shown in Fig. 2. Secured to the forward edge of the top board 1 is a pivoted tray 1S, upon which the childs toys or other articles may be placed. This tray is adapted to lbe folded down into pendent position beneath the top board or to be elevated into horizontal position, and in the latter adjustment it is upheld by means of a pivoted and swinging arm 19, journaled on a vertical axis projecting downwardly from the under side of the top 1, as shown in Fig. 2. This swinging arm may when desired be vibrated inward out of engagement with the tray 1S, so that the latter may be folded downward out of the way.

By means of the construction above described a very simple and convenient article is produced in the nature of a combined babywalker and rocking-chair. W" hen the rockers are adjusted by means of the rock-shaft into the position shown in Fig. 1, the device is perfectly adapted for use as a rockingchair, and it will be seen that by reason of the particular disposition of the casters within and beneath the quadrantal extensions of said rockers, should the child rock the chair` with considerable violence the forward or rearward pair of casters, as the case may be, will strike the floor and cause the chair toj roll or slide in a corresponding direction, thus rendering it impossible for the child to upset the. chair and be tipped out. By means of the rock-shaft the rocker-sections may be adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 2, adapt-y ing the Vdevice to be used as a baby-walker, l and in this event the seat is folded upward out of the way, so as to leave an unobstructed space beneath the apertured top board, so that the child may stand erect upon the floor, while the device described will effectually prevent the child from falling and the casters will permit of the child moving in any direction it may desire. Combining the rockingchair feature with the walker adds greatly to the attractiveness of the device and will prove to be a source of increased entertainment and amusement to the child, who, Without the rocking feature, would soon become discontented.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. A combined baby walker and rocker, comprising a chair-shaped frame, a pair of rockers each made in two substantially similar sections hinged together at their inner ends, and pivotally lconnected 4intermediate their ends to the chair legs or standards, a rock-shaft journaled on the legs of the chairframe and provided with end cranks and an intermediate lever-handle, and oppositelydisposed pivotal connecting-rods interposed between the rock-shaft and rocker-sections, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described device, comprising a ch air-sh aped framehaving a centrally-apertured top, a horizontally-disposed round or brace interposed between two of the legs thereof, and a folding seat having slotted arms embracing and adapted to slide longitudinally upon said round or brace and to be rocked thereon for folding said seat out of the way, the said slots being also extended laterally to form drop-slots which engage said horizontal round and prevent shifting of the seat when in its operative position substantially as described.

3. The herein-described rocker and babywalker, comprising a chair-shaped frame having an apertured top, a horizontal round or brace interposed between two of the legs thereof, a sliding and folding seat adapted to be supported upon opposing rounds, an oppositely-disposed pair of slotted arms or brackets connected rigidly to said seat and embracing said horizontal round or brace, the drop slots or notches formed at the extremities of the longitudinal slots in said arms or brackets, and a spring-catch for holding said seat in its folded or inoperative position, all arranged for joint operation, substantially as specified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. WEILAND. MILES THOMAS.

Vitnesscs:

EMIL BONN, Trios. P. DANIELs.

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